Chapter Three: Third Year

Snape, Dumbledore, and Lupin speak, October 1993

"What I still do not understand, Severus, is why you taught my third years about werewolves while I was absent."

Remus Lupin was, and had always been, a very quiet and private person. However, if there was always one person who had been able to get under his skin, it was Severus Snape. Remus thought that they had put everything behind them about their school days, especially with Snape making him the Wolfsbane Potion every month. Apparently, Remus had been wrong.

"Now, Remus," Albus said, raising a hand to the man. "Allow Severus a chance to explain his actions."

Remus was positively seething. The three men were in Albus' office, as Remus had brought this act to the Headmaster's attention. The older wizard, in turn, had sent for Severus.

Severus, on the other hand, looked as if none of this was bothering him in the least. In fact, Remus even saw the beginnings of a smirk on his face.

"Thank you, Albus," Severus said with a nod of his head. "I merely taught the third years what I thought Lupin should have been teaching them at this point in the year." He looked pointedly at Remus. "At least it wasn't a practical lesson."

Remus tightened his hands into fists and opened his mouth to retort.

"Severus, I must say that it was very poor judgment on your part to give a lesson to the students on werewolves," Albus said. His eyes were not twinkling, and his voice had the edge of a scolding tone to it.

"There are some students in that classroom who are not so dense as to be unable to figure things out on their own," Severus said as he studied his fingernails.

"Did you know that Rebecca came to see me this afternoon, Severus?" Remus asked quietly.

Severus turned his attention to Lupin. He was not aware of what had just been revealed. Had the girl figured out what he had wanted her to? What he had wanted the rest of the students to understand about their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? He supposed, thinking back, that only she and Granger would be the ones to discover what he had been getting at with the lesson, but it was a start.

"Did she?" Severus asked, his lips thinning.

"She came to ask how I was feeling," Remus continued. "She told me that though she didn't understand what I was going through at each full moon, she empathized with me." Remus recalled the terror he had felt when the girl had told him that she knew what he was. "She told me that my secret was safe, but that she didn't want to go about pretending to not know what I was. She wanted me to know that there were at least some who understood what it was like to not be accepted by their peers and others."

"I see," Severus said.

"Miss Felan has always been one to show compassion where it is needed," Albus interjected.

"That she has," Remus said. "Which brings me to wonder, Severus: did you want her to find out? You must have known that she would. What were you trying to prove?"

"I did wish the students to find out," Severus said, knowing that he could hide his true motives no longer. "I thought they should know what they were up against."

"Severus, that is enough!" Dumbledore said. He thumped his fist against the arm of his chair. Fawkes stirred on his perch behind the Headmaster. "I do not feel that I should have to punish my professors. You are acting as though you and Remus are back in your schooldays. What is the matter with you, Severus?"

Severus scowled. There was nothing wrong with him. He detested Lupin, detested the lot that he had hung around in school, and especially detested him for what he was, for what he had almost done to him all those years ago. He was the reason that he owed James Potter a life debt.

"You are both dismissed," Albus said with a wave of his hand. "You will not be substituting for Remus any longer on the days of the full moon, Severus. It is clear that the position goes quite too quickly to your head."


Snape and Rebecca speak, June 1993

"Did you think it a wise decision to stun me, Miss Felan?" Professor Snape asked, having the girl in his office.

"No, sir, of course not," the girl implored.

Albus had, of course, explained the situation to him. He had sent Granger, Felan, and Potter back in time with the help of Granger's Time Turner to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak. And, of course, Severus had been stunned by three third year students when he tried to arrest Lupin and Black. Today was a terrible day, indeed.

"They did it before I could stop them, sir," Rebecca continued. "I wanted to explain to you what was going on, but you wouldn't listen, professor."

"And just what exactly did go on, Miss Felan?"

"Sirius didn't kill all those people, it was Peter Pettigrew," Rebecca said.

"Quite."

Rebecca knew her Head of House was enraged. She would be too, if she were him. Being bested by a couple of third years did sting the ego a bit. However, so many exciting things had happened today to her and her friends that it was hard to worry about Professor Snape, even with the man sitting angrily just a few feet in front of her.

"Peter hid as Ron's rat, sir," Rebecca tried to continue.

Professor Snape held up a hand to stop her.

"Albus has informed me of everything, Miss Felan, so there is no reason for your ramblings," he said, stopping her short.

"Then why am I here, sir?"

Professor Snape made a long pause.

"So that I may advise you to no longer maintain your friendship with the Gryffindors," he said.

Rebecca looked at him strangely. "They're my only friends, sir," she said. "I couldn't give them up."

"Miss Felan, I don't think you understand the extent of what is happening in the world around you," he said, not allowing her to speak any longer. "You are in a very bad position, Miss Felan. I'm speaking of your lineage, which, of course, you could not help, but also of your place in the school. There are wizards and witches out there who do not like you. They do not like you so much that you are their target."

Rebecca considered what he said for a moment. Then, a thought struck her. She had not thought about it since the end of last year, but she remembered it all this time. What he had just told her triggered it.

"Do you have anything to do, sir, with Professor Dumbledore's information upon the Dark Lord's whereabouts?"

Professor Snape's face remained impassive, though the grip he had on the arms of his chair tightened visibly. His knuckles were white.

"An astute observation, Miss Felan," he said noncommittally, showing quite an amount of restraint in his voice. "Knowing that you have only touched the mere surface of understanding in these particular matters, what do you say to my advice?"

"I would be inclined to take it, sir, but I don't think my life will be any better for it."

He looked as if he wanted to smack her. "You put your life in danger by befriending the Golden Trio, girl!" he suddenly spat at her. He was standing now, coming around his desk to loom in front of her. "Do you not understand the severity of your situation? You could be killed because of your associations with them."

Though Rebecca had not moved and continued to meet her professor's gaze, he was frightening her terribly. She wanted to cringe, but she found she was frozen in her seat.

"I don't understand why you care so much, Professor Snape," she said, her voice weak from fear. "Is it because that's what the Headmaster charged you to do? To watch over me?"

She watched as he shrunk back immediately at her words.

"No, Miss Felan, it is not," he said, almost too quietly for her to hear. "Get back to the common room."

Rebecca was out of his office faster than she had ever done so. He had never frightened her this much before.